goodymatt

Didn’t WHU buy someone from them today for €18m?

Giving me Spertsyan reporting vibes, too much talk.

I make it 5th choice:

I think we’ve set our sights high on Affengruber and Falchener and got burnt (Gakpo and Ramos vines here). Even the Dortmund option has good pedigree for his age with the Italy call up and Dortmund apps. Looking back under SR we have spent big on players far down the list and regretted it. Onuachu and Sulemana come to mind. Perhaps loaning a supposed young talent and seeing how it goes is sensible from a financial perspective. We will have the opportunity to do something in January if needed. The flip side of this is we simply have to go up this season and have taken £60m with add ons included (£51m guaranteed) for 2 of our key players that could have grown with us after a promotion. We are taking a gamble by not signing a proven player. CB a position where experience is often key. Have to pray it turns out more like a Lavia or Tino with pretty much zero first team experience but looked great from day one. Fans will be understandably underwhelmed and rightly so. Let’s hope we are pleasantly surprised (assuming he signs).

Summary of where we are: GK backup - zero links at all, slightly concerning CB - THB £25m + £5m add ons to Villa. Medical today. €10m bid rejected for Falchener and gao in valuation means we have reportedly ended our interest. Main target appears to be Affengruber, rumours we are pushing hard and it will take €10-12m to get him. Alfie house suggests we have ‘a few targets’ but confirms our interest. RB - Sugawara continues to be linked to Celtic. No links to Roerslev leaving so seems likely he ends up being backup for Bree. CM - Alfie said on Total Saints Pod that there was ‘categorically’ nothing in the Jander not really be injured links and expects him to stay. Seems like our business is done here. LW - Edozie linked to Italy (€2m rumoured). Not sure if we loan an option here if we sell? ST - Archer to Preston (loan rumoured but wages are high). Gone very quiet on Downs but MLS seems likely. Ratkov is off to Levante, so that link is dead.

How do both compare to THB on your computer game?

Affengruber plays in La Liga for Elche, not second division.

Perhaps Affengruber was our first choice all along?

Thank goodness for Cyle Larin

Another Plettenberg tweet from early July.

Villa spending £159m on THB, Jackson and Garnacho… If I was a Vila fan I’m not sure given their sales that I would be happy with that.

I’d never heard of this guy until 15 mins ago but now I’ve gone and got my hopes up. Get it done Sporsy baby.

Oh Matthew, it’s happened again!

This Plettenberg post from May suggests a fair few big clubs have been tracking Affengruber or at least showing an interest. Would this signing be a big coup?

I wonder who our first choice replacement is

No suggestions of any sell on clause to be included?

The big question is, who’s the better player, Falchener or Affengruber?

“According to my sources, Falchener is on his way out of Viking. The club that, as of today, is best positioned to secure his signature is Southampton. Things can change because Wrexham is trying to finance a purchase of the Norwegian national team player, and the player himself hasn't decided yet. Still, it looks most likely that Southampton will be the next stop.”

Might suggest Wrexham are out of the Falchener race?